Plumb-bob.



PATENTED NOV. 2l, 1905.

C. J. HEDLUND.

-PLUMB BOB.

APPLIUATIQN Hmm 1233.6. 1905.

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IINITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PLUIVlB-BOB.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 21, 1905.

Application filed February 6, 1905'. Serial No. 244,339.

To @ZZ whom, it may concern.-

Beit known that I, CHARLES JOHN HED- LUND, a citizen of the United States, residing at Quincy, in the county of Norfolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Plumb-Bobs, of which the following is a specification.

The object of this invention is to provide a plumb-bob for the use of masons. carpenters, and mechanics in general in which the string' by which the plumb-bob is suspended may be coiled upon a reel located in the interior of said plumb-bob.

The invention consists in the combination and arrangement of parts set forth in the following specification and particularly pointed out in the claims thereof.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a central longitudinal section of one form of my invention with the reel and spring-casing in elevation. Fig. 2 is a section, partly in elevation, taken on line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a plumb-bob embodying my invention. Fig. 4 is a section, partly in elevation, taken on line 4 4 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the reel used in the construction illustrated in Fig.l 4, together with the pinion by which said reel is rotated. Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the gear by means of which the reel-pinion is connected to the spring-winding spindle. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a portion of the plumb-bob illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, showing the lockingpin and its spring-platesattached thereto, said pin being located in the upper end of the slot in said plumb-bob.

Like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

In the drawings, Figs. 1 and 2, 8 is the plumb-bob casing, consisting of a base 9, having a point 10 attached thereto, and a cover or top 11, consisting of a hollow hemispherical piece of metal screwed to the upper end of the base 9. A reel 12 is journalcd upon an arbor 13, fast to the base 9, said reel having formed upon its right-hand side, Fig. 1, an annular flange 14, and inside said flange is located a fiat spiral spring 15, the inner end of which is fastened to the arbor 13 and the outer end to the flange 14. A ratchet 16 is fastened to the left-hand side of the reel 12 and engages a pin 17 when said pin is pushed upwardly in the slot 18, provided in the base 9, as illustrated in Fig. 1. When said pin is pushed downwardly to the bottom of the slot 18, the ratchet 16 does not engage said pin 17,'but is free to rotate upon the arbor 13. The pin 17 is held in its upward or downward position by means of friction-springs 19 and 20, fast thereto at opposite ends thereof, respectively. A string 21 is fastened at one end to the reel 12 and extends therefrom through an orifice 22, provided in the upper end of the plumb-bob.

The operation of my improved plumb-bob hereinbefore specifically described, and illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, is as follows: Assuming the pin 17 to be in its lowermost position in the slot 18, the string 21 is held in one hand and the plumb-bob allowed to drop until the pin 10 touches any desired surface. Then by raising upon vthe string there is suiiicient resistance to the uncoiling of the reel to allow the plumbbob to be raised to any desired height from the surface which the p'oint 10 formerly touched. By giving a slight jerk upon the string the plumb-bob may be lowered toa greater distance.

If it is desired to lock the reel against rotation, so that no-more string can be paid out, the pin 17 is raised in the slot 18 until the inner end of said pin engages the ratchet 16, and thus prevents said ratchet and also the reel to which it is attached from rotating. As the string is paid out by the rotation of the reel 12, hereinbefore described, the spring will be wound up, and if it is desired to coil the string Awhich has been paid out upon the reel again the plumb-bob is taken in one hand while the string' is released with the other and the spring 15 will rotate the reel 12 and wind said string thereon. v

In Figs. 3 to 6, inclusive, another form of my invention is illustrated in which the plumbbob consists of a casing 8', base 9', point 10', and cover 11'. The reel12' is journaled to rotate upon an arbor 13', supported in the casing 8', and has fast thereto a pinion 23. which meshes into a hollow cylindrical gear 24, fast to aspindle 25. The spindle 25 projects downwardly from the end of the gear 24 and has fastened thereto a sleeve 26, to which sleeve the inner end of aiiat spiral spring 15' is attached. The outer end of the spring 15' is fastened to the casing 8'. In order to facilitate the rotation of the gear 24, a ball-bearing 27 is provided, said balls resting upon a partition 28, which extends across the interior of the casing 8' immediately above the fiat spring 15'.

In order to lock the reel 12' against rotation, a pin 17 is provided, which extends through IOO IOS

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a slot 18, provided in the cover l1', said pin being held in position at the top or bottom of said slot by 'flat springs 19 and 20, located upon the outside and inside of the cover 11, respectively. A string 21 is fastened to the reel 12 and extendstherefrom through an orifice 22, provided in the upper end of the casing 8.

The operation of my improved plumb-bob, as hereinbefore described, and illustrated in Figs. 3 to 6, inclusive, of the drawings, is as follows: Assuming the pin 17 to be pushed to the bottom of the slot 18', so that the reel 12 is free to rotate, said string 21 is held in one hand and the plumb-bob allowed to drop. The reel 12 rotates, paying out the string through the orifice 22 until the point 10 rests upon any desired surface. While the reel 12 is thus rotating the spring 15 is wound by means of the pinion 23, gear 24C, and spindle 25. By holding the plumb-bob in one hand and releasing the string the spring 15 will cause the reel 12 to rotate in the opposite direction to that hereinbefore described, thus coiling the string upon said reel.

If it is desired to locl the reel against rota'- tion, the pin 17 is moved upwardly in the slot 18 until the inner end of said pin encounters a projection 29, formed upon the righthand side of the reel 12, Fig. 4.

Having,thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire by Letters Patent to secure, is-

1. A plumb-bob comprising in its construction a casing, a reel journaled to rotate in said casing, a spring adapted to rotate said reel in one direction, and a string connected to said reel and adapted to rotate itin the opposite direction, said string passing from said reel through an orifice provided in one end of said plumb-bob, means to lock said reelr against rotation, said locking means constructed to be moved into and out of engagement with said reel, and means for holding said locking means either in or out of engagement with said reel.

2. A plumb-bob comprising in its construction a casing, a reel journaled to rotate in said casing, a spring adapted to rotate said reel in one direction, a string connected to said reel and adapted to rotate it in the opposite direction, said string passing from said reel through an orifice provided in one end of said plumbbob, a ratchet fast to one end of said reel, a pin extending through a slot provided in said casing, said pin slidable transversely thereof and longitudinally of said slot into and out of engagement with said ratchet..

3. A plumb-bob comprising in its construction a casing, a reel journaled to rotate in said casing, a spring adapted to rotate-said reel in one direction, a string connected to said reel and adapted to rotate it in the opposite direction, said strin g passing from said reel through an orifice provided in one end of said plumbbob, a ratchet fast to one end of said reel, a pin extending through a slot provided in said casing, said pin slidable transversely thereof and longitudinally of said slot into and out of engagement with said ratchet, and frictionsprings engaging said pin and adapted to hold it stationary as to movement longitudinally of said slot.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES JOHN HEDLUND.

Witnesses: n

GHARLEs S. GooDING, ANNIE J. DAILEY. 

